End of an Era

The Chrétien/Martin era is finally over, now that one of the most obstinate political pugilists this country has ever seen has finally put down his gloves and thrown in the towel. On a night that saw the Liberals deny the Conservatives their Ontario breakthrough yet again, and perform better than anyone could have predicted or hoped for given such a ham-fisted campaign, Martin took the stage, put his chin in the air, and resigned.

It was the last, best thing he has ever done as Prime Minister.

There will be no end of political eulogies for Paul Martin, the man of infinite vision and zero action in the minds of many. But his place will now and always be cemented in history as the political antagonist of Jean Chrétien.

Theirs was an era of radical change in government spending, with funding cuts unparalleled in decades. They also brought about substantial social change, with the passing of progressive legislation concerning gay rights, for which both men should take some pride.

It was also an era of politics by cheque book; a cynical age of vote buying that reached its zenith under their joint hubris.

But where Jean Chrétien was the master of minimization, Martin was the conjurer of dreams.

It started with hope and promise, a Canada that would lead the world, broker restraint from our southern neighbour while inspiring action by the UN. Taking his cue and inspiration from his father, Martin was a world-recognized fiscal leader who would put Canada centre stage on the diplomatic scene.

If he only had a moment's more patience in his lust for leadership, so much might have been different.

From the outset, he led a divided party, one with its right foot in the Chrétien past and its left foot in the Martin future.

But instead of making his vision a reality, he and his team spent their time fighting for their political lives, promising just about everything short of pink pillow cushions to every Canadian in their attempts to keep their political heads above water.

Anyone who ever believed in the "Martin Dream" must have gone from shock to tears watching Martin flail for survival, making up new policies on the fly during national debates, signing off on national ads that could only be described as desperate and insulting, and the final indignity of pretending to play rock guitar on a Winnipeg stage with the cameras rolling and most of Canada chuckling.

It was a bittersweet moment to see Martin finally take the high road, admit defeat, and set the stage for a new leadership campaign. It was a case of good riddance for some, but for so many, an act of decisive integrity that seemed none too little, but so, so late.

This war of egos has left Canada in a precarious state, where separatism has begun anew, despite the Bloc's rather embarrassing loss of seats. While the economy is strong, it was practically promised away by all three parties over the last seven weeks, including an until now job-obsessed Paul Martin. And any social progressiveness that either Chrétien or Martin may have achieved will have to endure yet another test of parliament, the courts, and another round of public debate.

No small number of Liberals took a sigh of relief with Martin's speech.

What faces the Liberal party now is not a wholesale house-cleaning, but a purging of the few who have high-jacked the party. Reg Alcock, the scourge of the civil service is gone (pending a recount, one suspects). With Martin will hopefully go Tim Murphy, his strategic sidekick, along with most of the Martin inner circle.

The party will need a strong leadership campaign, and not the coronation that Martin enjoyed. And they will need the old Chrétien guard to stay retired, including John Manley, Allan Rock, Brian Tobin, and Sheila Copps.

The Conservatives are about to lead a government with the greenest, most inexperienced cabinet in history, and they will face unified but experienced Liberal opposition if Martin gets what he was likely hoping for with his last act as Prime Minister.

It won't make the history books look any better, but it was the best move for a sick party.